We'll Just Rule the World Now, OK?Written by Mike Banks Valentine
One has to wonder if corporate directive at Microsoft is as blatant as it seems from outside. What is it that makes them behave as if monopolistic bullying is an inherent right for biggest, baddest damned behemoth ever to roam face of information economy? That they can rule Earth just because they think they'd like to give it a go?It is almost inconceivable that they already rule planet PC, from operating system, to web browser, to email client, to word processing program, to calendaring program, to media player, to spreadsheet, to financial software, to presentation application, to web server software, etc., etc., etc., ad infinitum. Microsoft kinda oughtta be satisfied with that, eh? NOOOOO! Let's have them control software RE-licensing, enterprise mail servers, certification of network administrators, and GEE fellas! How's about we develop a system called .Net in which we store and control, via our proprietary system, all information on planet? Cool idea huh? While we're at it, why don't we tie all our products together, being certain that nobody uses any competing software -- with Smart Tags? These little geniuses will not only allow us to control software worldwide, but all advertising on every web page in world by allowing us to plant hyperlinks on those pages that connect to advertisers who'll pay Microsoft to hijack website traffic? Jeeeezz! This is sooooo cool! Judge Penfield Jackson couldn't remain unbiased when he saw these tactics and publicly stated his disdain for blatant monopolistic practices that only a team of Microsoft lawyers could possibly approve of. So it is almost as though court of appeals has now said, "No matter how heinous a crime, don't ever let 'em see you flinch! It makes you look as if you actually have some morals and standards. Judges are not allowed public opinions!"
| | Overcoming Your Cyberspace Fears:Written by Marc McDonald
With all doom and gloom surrounding Dot Com meltdown over past year, it seems that fear has replaced optimism for many people who are trying to make a living in cyberspace.No doubt, there is quite a bit to be pessimistic about in today's post-Web stock mania crash environment. But on other hand, a lot of fears and anxieties that I often see expressed by Webmasters are often overblown and are not rooted in reality. The fact is: it's a big enough challenge these days building a successful site, without burdening yourself with unreasonable worries. Here are some of more common fears that I've encountered: 1. "The party's over and I arrived too late to stake my claim in cyberspace." Reality: It's true that heady days of easy money and instant Dot Com millionaires are behind us, (at least for now). But fact is, Web is still a young medium and it still has enormous potential that hasn't even begun to be tapped out yet. This may be hard to believe---especially given enormous negative publicity surrounding collapse of many previously high-flying Dot Com companies. However, what is overlooked by many gloomy media reports is that Web itself is alive and well. Millions of new Web sites continue to emerge every month. And overall traffic for Web continues to rise. The fact is, without exception, disgraced Dot Coms that crashed and burned were companies that really didn't have solid business plans for profitability. In reality, only reason their stock prices soared in first place was a combination of easy money, recklessness, greed and an absurd temporary mania for all things Net-related. However, it's important to separate that fiasco from realities of Web today. The fact remains: if you have a good idea, and a solid business plan for a Web site---and you're willing to work hard---then opportunities for success still abound in cyberspace. 2. "I'm not a tech person. Building a Web site and making it successful requires complex skills that I don't have." Reality: I hear this particular fear expressed quite a bit by people who would love to set up shop on Web and earn a living in cyberspace. And I think this fear is greatly overblown. Don't fool yourself: fact is, setting up a Web site is a fairly easy task....in fact, you'll find that your biggest challenge is not building a site, but drawing visitors. And as far as drawing visitors goes, you really don't have to be a Web guru or a tech person to achieve this. We're not talking about rocket science here---simply relentlessly doing basics and doing them well: making your site a compelling and useful resource that people will bookmark; learning about search engines; working out linkbacks with other sites, etc.
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